Tom and Jerry – A Brandy Cocktail

This is a family tradition cocktail, the Tom and Jerry, one that we have every year! Cheers!

Every year after the turkey and trimmings have been consumed and about the time everyone starts to get hungry for pie, someone will break out the mixer and the hot water and make up a big batch of hot drinks called the Tom and Jerry. For us, breaking out the Tom and Jerry drinks is officially the start of the Christmas season! Likewise, our tradition is to start decorating for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving, and the Tom and Jerry’s will keep flowing at family events until after the New Year.

This post contains affiliate links for products that we think you as readers might find useful, and we make commission off of these! For more details about our affiliates, click our Disclosure and Contacts Page.

Tom & Jerry

Originally created back in the 1850’s as a winter cocktail at St. Louis’s Planter House Hotel by Jerry Thomas. Thomas authored the first cocktail book Bar-Tender’s Guide, How to Mix Drinks back in 1862 and who was considered the godfather of American mixology.

The Tom and Jerry is a steamy sweet drink spiked with brandy and rum and topped with a big aromatic burst of nutmeg. It was likely inspired by a boozy version of English eggnog that is commonly served around the Holidays. The warm drink full of spices and aromatics is perfect sipping on a cold winter’s night. The Tom and Jerry quickly gained favor at saloons and bars with drinkers who wanted a warming tipple.

What is a Tom & Jerry?

In our family, the Tom and Jerry was one of Mr. Nom’s grandparents favorite holiday drinks (they even had the little white china mugs that said Tom and Jerry on them!) The Grandparents were always the ones who made the batter, and at family gatherings at their house meant that at some point Tom and Jerry’s would be served for all (virgin drinks for the kids of course!).

When we started hosting family gatherings, we decided that we needed to keep up this tradition and serve mugs of Tom and Jerry to our family.

What Ingredients are Needed for the Tom & Jerry Cocktail?

Brandy or Rum

Vanilla Extract

Cloves, Cinnamon and Nutmeg

Eggs

Powdered Sugar

Water

Milk

We could have used the recipe that the grandparents used. But, as is our typical path when looking at drinks for the blog, we do a little research in finding the right recipe. While we have always enjoyed the Tom and Jerry‘s served at family gatherings, one commonly heard complaint was that the drink was way too sweet.

We were looking in our copy of the Bar-Tender’s Guide and the original recipe sounded delicious. Likewise, it was definitely not nearly as sweet. Since we are big on trying out the classic cocktails, we decided to serve our version of the original recipe this year. We did a taste test at our Thanksgiving gathering versus the sweet recipe that had been served for many years.

The original recipe calls for a a somewhat laborious process to make the batter. It consists of separating the eggs and fluffing the whites into a pillowy foam like a meringue while also foaming milk on the stove. While this sounds like a pain, the results are well worth it. Especially when you are sipping your deliciously steaming mug of rich boozy foam!

If You Are Looking for More Holiday Recipes, Try These!

Using brandy and rum to add in a big boozy base, the rich fluffy batter and frothy milk is like a spicy aromatic version of an eggnog latte! When we served our version to our guests, they all responded that they liked our version! They liked how much more balanced and rich our version was.

PIN THIS TOM AND JERRY RECIPE FOR LATER!

Interested in stocking your own home bar? Make sure to see our favorites at our Amazon Store!

If you liked this recipe, don’t forget to subscribe for new (and of course free) recipes by entering your email address on the side bar (and get all the recipes delivered to your inbox when we post), so you don’t miss out on a thing. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter!

Gastronomblog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Well…I think I need to follow your blog now! I love historical recipes and this is one I’ve haven’t come across yet. It sounds so delicious, and I do love an involved recipe. Thanks so much for sharing!